Mutual
by Satanic Mechanic
Summary: Because when you're a father, the last thing you want is your son sharing a hotel room with Zelos Wilder.


Notes: Finally got to edit this. It's been two years since I've touched it! There were lots of errors to be corrected. I've also added in some dialogue here and there, so old readers might find something new!

All standard Disclaimers apply. Enjoy!

* * *

"I'm sorry sirs, but we only have two small rooms available for tonight. The four of you will have split up," the polite Innkeeper spoke, much to the dismay of the group standing in front of her. Well, much to the dismay of the majority of them.

"Alright! I got dibs on Lloyd!" Zelos piped up a bit too enthusiastically. His smile faded quickly when he caught sight of the disapproving looks received. "What?"

"That's not fair. He's _my_ best friend! He should room with me!" Genis crossed his arms and glared up at the redhead. The little half-elf stood on his tiptoes in an effort to be more intimidating, but didn't entirely succeed in this.

"Back off brat, I called him first!" Lloyd blinked in confusion as he watched the two argue over him like a piece of meat. He took a few steps back and nudged the fourth member of their party.

"Hey, Kratos, what's their problem?" he whispered to the taller man and was confused anew when he only got an exasperated sigh as a response.

"Thank you, Miss." Kratos pushed his way past Zelos and Genis, who were still arguing, and politely took the keys from the woman at the counter, who was currently watching the display with a worried expression. The two who were causing such a fuss ceased their arguing when Kratos dropped a key into the half-elf's hand.

"Here. Take this and bring Lloyd with you." Genis beamed up at the man and slipped the key into his pocket.

"Really? I knew you'd take my side!" Genis exclaimed and maturely stuck his tongue out at Zelos, who was standing a few feet away looking like he had just suffered the greatest disappointment of his life.

"But…that's not fair!" Zelos complained as he watched Lloyd and the brat head towards the stairs together.

"Don't feel bad Zelos, I'll share a room with you next time!" Lloyd called over his shoulder and waved to the two still standing at the front desk. "Goodnight!" Zelos let his shoulders fall as the door shut behind them, just barely catching sight of Genis' victorious grin.

He turned slowly to see Kratos standing with his arms crossed and a blank expression on his face, looking perfectly like he had no idea how badly he had screwed up Zelos' plans.

Of course, Zelos knew better. Damn old man lived to piss him off. He fixed his tormentor with a glare as Kratos remained devotedly indifferent. "I hate you and…everyone who looks like you," he grumbled lamely but let his glare stay in place.

"I am heartbroken." Zelos huffed at the mocking words and turned back to gaze wistfully upon the door Lloyd had disappeared behind, silently dreading being locked up in his own room with the stuffy old man next to him.

"Hmm…room number 17, huh? I'll have to remember that. Maybe if the brat falls asleep early I can sneak in and…heh," Zelos' devious plotting was interrupted as Kratos grabbed a hold of his ear and began dragging him off toward their own room.

"Let's go." Kratos sighed at the fantastic situation he had just gotten himself into, wondering if he could just smother the redhead with a pillow and call it a night. Alas! The things he suffered for his son.

"Ow, dammit! Watch the hair!" Zelos whined and the woman behind the counter shook her head as she watched the last of the foursome leave.

XxX

"This thing is like a rock," Zelos griped as he plopped himself down on the twin sized bed and grimaced at the tacky yellow and purple plaid print of the comforter. He rolled over to see Kratos inspecting his own sheets and saw with bitter satisfaction that they were sporting a large mystery stain.

"Hey, I have a question. When are we ever going to find a place that isn't a shit hole?"

"It's the best we could do on such short notice. If you don't like it, you can sleep outside," Kratos stated calmly before pulling off the soiled sheet and depositing it on the floor. Zelos briefly considered doing the same with his comforter, not that it seemed to be dirty, he just hated the idea of sleeping under something so hideous.

"Aw, but then you'd be missing out on my wonderful company! And that is an injustice I wouldn't want anyone to suffer." Zelos grinned and Kratos raised an eyebrow as he sat down to pull off his boots.

"If you are in anyway implying that I actually want to share a room with you, you'd be sorely mistaken."

"Would I? Then why not stick me with Genis, or Lloyd?"

"I'd be too afraid of you and Genis trying to kill one another, and I think you know perfectly well why I don't want you alone with Lloyd."

"What? Why's that?" Zelos gasped in mock innocence and flinched at the vicious glare sent his way a moment later. "Oh, come on. He's practically an adult, it's not like he can't make these decisions for himself." Zelos offered, but the annoyance that was visibly radiating off the older man didn't diminish. Perhaps trying to convince the man he was spending the night with that it was perfectly all right for his son to be having sex with other men was not the best decision.

"Go to sleep. We're leaving early tomorrow," Kratos grumbled out with a bit of misplaced anger and rolled over on his bed, giving Zelos the cold shoulder. Zelos sighed and was getting ready to do the same when he noticed the man tuck something under his pillow when he thought Zelos wasn't looking, igniting his curiosity.

"Do you really think I'd corrupt him that bad?" Zelos asked a few moments later as an after thought.

"Yes." Kratos answered a bit too quickly and Zelos snorted and rolled over onto his back to stare at the ceiling.

"Fine then, goodnight," Zelos called over and sighed when he received no response, realizing he was being ignored. It seemed he really did have a knack for pushing all the wrong buttons with people, and even when he thought that it was almost impossible to get under Kratos' skin. Not that the old man didn't deserve it, though.

There was a faint shuffling to his left and he looked over to see Kratos get up and head towards the door. "Something wrong?"

"Just going to find the…facilities," Kratos replied over his shoulder and pulled open the creaky old wooden door. "Go to sleep," he commanded again, silently hoping that when he came back the idiot would have disappeared into thin air or fallen off a cliff or whatever was easiest.

"I hope for your sake that it's not just a hole in the floor!" Zelos teased and Kratos snorted before closing the door and exiting into the dark hallway. Zelos rolled over and stared at the man's vacated pillow, wondering what in the hell he could have stashed under there in such a secretive way. Zelos was curious to see what could make Mr. Stone Cold act so seemingly sentimental.

There was always the chance that he could get caught snooping and get even more on Kratos' bad side, but then again, he highly doubted that he would ever be on the man's good side, so what was there to lose?

Slowly getting up from the bed he winced as the springs creaked loudly and glanced over his shoulder cautiously. He shook his head as he realized he was being way too paranoid and strode over to the other side of the room quickly. Slipping his hand underneath the pillow he frowned as he felt something cool and metallic. Pulling the object out, he realized it was some sort of necklace, a locket to be precise, and let it dangle between his fingers for moment. Moonlight reflected off the smooth silver surface as Zelos snapped it open gently.

"Can I help you with something?" Zelos nearly jumped out of his skin when a deep voice boomed out from behind him. He whirled around to find the last person he wanted to see right now.

"Kratos! Um, that was quick. I'm assuming it was a 'number one'?" Zelos laughed weakly but if Kratos' all mighty wicked glare that might have had the power to kill puppies was any indication, he did not see the humor in this. Zelos sighed and collapsed into a sitting position on the creaky old bed, steeling himself for the rebuking he was sure to receive.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Kratos let his gaze travel to the locket that Zelos was still holding.

"I…" Zelos looked down at the open locket and took a peek at the picture that was concealed within for the first time, figuring he should at least do so while he still had a head. Make his looming death not a total waste of time.

When Zelos realized he was holding a family portrait, he wasn't sure how to react. "Wait…is this Lloyd's mom?" Zelos asked slowly, almost in awe, and he looked up to see Kratos' glare dissolve into an expression of utter shock.

"That's…" Kratos faltered for a moment, looking for all the world like this was the last conversation he wanted to be having, with the last person he wanted to be having it with, but there was no going back now. "Yes…Anna," he shut his eyes tight at the sick feeling in his stomach and opened them again to see Zelos sitting before him, still looking shocked. Kratos let out an exhausted sigh and took a seat on the bed next to him, running a shaky hand through his hair as he did so.

"Oh." Zelos lowered his head, suddenly feeling as if he had intruded on something so private, something so sacred, that he had somehow dirtied it with his naïve hands. He was actually beginning to feel _guilty _for being so nosy.

The two of them were silent for a while and Zelos took the moment to close up the locket and run a thumb over the intricate floral etchings on the cover absently. "Here." Zelos dropped the chain into a waiting palm and watched as it was tucked away a second later. Kratos remained silent.

"She sure was a hottie," Zelos commented lightly after a few more minutes of intense quiet, both of them having yet to get up from their position at the edge of the bed.

"I'm glad you approve," Kratos remarked dryly, still staring resolutely at whatever happened to be so fascinating on the wall opposite them.

"I bet she had a wonderful personality, too."

"Why do you say that?" Kratos turned to the other man with a faint smile; at least, it looked almost like a smile to Zelos. It was hard to tell because he had never actually seen one of those grace the usually stoic man's face, so maybe he was just having indigestion or something.

"Well, he certainly doesn't get it from you!" Kratos snorted at that and leaned back on his hands, ready to go back to sleep and check out of this place as soon as possible the next morning.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you going to stay here all night?" Kratos asked with evident annoyance directed at the man who was currently refusing to vacate his bed.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Zelos cooed sarcastically and Kratos elbowed him in the ribs when he tried to pull the seraph into a hug. The blow sent the stunned redhead tumbling down to the hard wood floor.

"Damn." Zelos hissed and rubbed his bruised side as he glared up at Kratos. "Lloyd has never protested like that!"

"I'm not Lloyd," Kratos said harshly. "And you better leave him alone, too, or you'll have me to answer to."

"You _really_ need to develop a sense of humor."

"Hn," was the huffy, clench-jawed response.

"You sure you don't need a hug? You know, a little lovin' might help you loosen up a bit." Zelos leered.

"If you're going to attempt to lay a hand on me again, I'm warning that you'll be pulling back a stump."

"Okay okay!" Zelos grinned and raised his hands defensively as he got to his feet. "I can see you're the hard-to-get type. I guess I'll just have to work on Lloyd some more—

"Wilder…" Kratos growled at the mention of his son's name and attempted to climb out of bed and throttle the idiot Chosen but was rudely interrupted.

Zelos leapt back quickly as there was a loud crash. He peeked through the cloud of dust on the floor to see that Kratos' bed had collapsed on top of its ancient legs. Kratos groaned and got up to brush off some the debris that he was now covered in. He was vaguely grateful that at least the bed hadn't collapsed through the floorboards.

"…It's official, this place is a shit-hole." Zelos announced his final verdict and Kratos nodded his head as he carefully crept out of the dangerous bed.

* * *

"…You kicked me."

"Only because you're hogging all the covers!"

"Guys, is everything alright? I heard a noise and…" Lloyd froze in his spot at the doorway as he spotted the last two people he expected tangled up in a tacky yellow and purple comforter together. "Kratos? Zelos?"

"It's not what you think!" Zelos shot up, throwing a lanky arm off his stomach as he did so, but found only an empty doorway.

"Great. Just great!" Zelos huffed and frowned down at his bedmate in an accusing manner. "He's never going to let me sleep with him _now_ if he thinks I'm already doing his dad!" he shouted and Kratos chucked darkly a few inches away from him.

"How unfortunate."

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." Zelos sighed and plopped his head back down on the pillow he was sharing, grimacing as he got a mouthful of hair that wasn't his own. "I hate you."

"Convenient. I don't really care for you much either." Kratos groaned as he tried to get comfortable in the cramped space and rolled over on his other side.

"Um, gramps, that's my leg you're groping."

"Sorry. But you'll have to live with a little contact if you ever want to get comfortable in this predicament," Kratos admitted begrudgingly, wishing the idiot would just shut up already and let him sleep. He thought Zelos of all people should be accustomed to sharing a bed.

"Fine…" Zelos squirmed slightly as he tired to get comfortable, finally settling on resting his head on a strong shoulder. "Still hate you by the way."

"I appreciate the update. I assure you the feeling is mutual."

Fin


End file.
